Judge called murderer James Burton jealous and obsessive

"I consider there are serious aggravating factors"

Murderer James Burton faces a minimum of 30 years in prison for the calculated killing of love rival, Matthew Dunn.

Sentencing the 32-year-old, who has eight previous convictions including threatening behaviour and GBH, High Court Judge Lord Justice Blake said there were no mitigating circumstances and so the 25-year term starting point for the offence must be exceeded.

The Judge told Burton he would have realised the plastics worker was at Aimee Radley’s house on the morning of January 24, having heard his car pull up and conversation with Miss Radley in the kitchen, even if he hadn’t expected him to be there.

Burton had stalked ex-girlfriend Miss Radley in the preceeding weeks and had come to recognise Mr Dunn’s pattern of visits. On this occasion however, Mr Dunn had contacted Miss Radley the night before, planning to pop round after he finished his first week of night shifts at workplace Amari Plastics in Wednesbury.

Lord Justice Blake said Burton’s initial plan to confront Miss Radley, forcibly if necessary, about her breaking contact with him and preventing him seeing their young son then changed.

“You set about attacking Matthew straight away with your knife to his shoulder then his upper body and limbs. You aimed two blows to his chest severe enough to damage ribs and one of these penetrated his heart. Matthew was unarmed, he had not threatened you in any way, there was no fear for your life or any question of self defence.

“You pursued Matthew from the kitchen to the living room. You assaulted him with at least six blows to the head and neck. I am satisfied you targeted his head and neck area at a time when either he had his back to you or you were over him.

“You inflicted a fatal blow to the back of his neck, severing his spinal cord. You knew then that he was dead and went through his pockets to find his mobile phone so you could pursue your jealous obsession with his relationship with Aimee and when it started.

“Matthew was a decent, hardworking man and I have read with sorrow and considerable sympathy the victim impact statements of his mother, former partner and Miss Radley.

“In Matthew, Aimee had found a loving partner and a durable and affectionate relationship of which she has now been deprived. She would have suffered the additional torment of being unable to help Matthew, having your son in her arms.”

The Judge continued: “You took a knife to the scene so the starting point is 25 years but I consider there are serious aggravating factors. Your previous convictions, the last of which you were finally released from in 2009, your aggressive and threatening violent behaviour which has continued to be a problem and bedevilled your relationship with Aimee and probably earlier partners.

“I am satisfied having killed Matthew you went upstairs to try and restrain Aimee and would have used violence if necessary. In any event she was so terrified that she jumped out of the upper bedroom window, a distance of some 12ft, cradling her and your child, contriving to land on her back at serious risk of injuring herself to ensure the safety of the baby.

“I take account of the quite unbelievable fact you proceeded to rain down heavy objects all around her. I say the matter is further aggravated because you received a harassment notice which you not only ignored but continued harrassing Miss Radley with a series of unpleasant texts in the week before the killing. You stalked her property.”

The Judge said it had been ‘entirely reasonable’ for Miss Radley to terminate contact with Burton because of his obsessive jealousy, harassment and threats and while he understood Burton had been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder it had no significant impact on his criminal behaviour,

And the Judge added: “Your expressions of remorse in police interview and in court are particularly hollow and artificial in regards to the dreadful words you said at the time.”

Burton had relied on a partial defence of diminished responsibility and loss of control which would have reduced the charge to manslaughter. The claim was his mental state pushed him to ‘flip out’ when in emotionally stressful situations and he would have acted irrationally and impulsively.

After eight days of often disturbing evidence and just over two hours of deliberation the six man, six woman jury rejected this view, finding him guilty of murder. He was acquitted of making threats to kill his son.

Recently Published

Nicola Webb had been at Leicester Crown Court for the duration of the trial, often breaking down in tears as evidence was given, sometimes avoiding the public gallery altogether if she knew the testimony would be too harrowing

Send a story

Advertise

Hinckley's vital and leading online information provider, packed with in-depth local community news, which supports our print publication the Hinckley Times. The website offers high quality editorial focusing on local issues, sport, homes, motors, jobs, entertainment, business and events.